Jennifer M. Lechner is the executive director of the North Carolina Equal Access to Justice Commission, a position she has held since 2008. Under her direction, the commission assesses unmet legal needs, engages in statewide strategic planning, coordinates efforts between the legal aid organizations and other legal and non-legal organizations, manages resource development efforts, and works generally to expand civil access to justice. Before moving to North Carolina, she founded and operated a Maine-based company focused on legal association management. She served as the first executive coordinator of the Justice Action Group, Maine's access to justice entity, and as the first coordinator of a unified statewide fundraising campaign for all Maine legal aid providers. Lechner began her career as the legislative counsel to the Maine State Bar Association where she lobbied the state and federal government on behalf of Maine's largest professional trade association.
Lechner has served as a consultant to access to justice entities, legal aid organizations, bar associations, and political candidates. She is serves on the North Carolina Advocates for Justice Board of Governors and is a member of the North Carolina Bar Association, the North Carolina Association of Women Attorneys, and the Wake County Bar Association. She is an author of articles on access to justice and a frequent speaker at law schools and state and national conferences.